Means for supporting brushes



Feb. 17, 1942. F. A. HENDERSON 2,273,641

MEANSFOR SUPPORTING BRUSHES Filed June 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. -17, 1942. F. A. HENDERSON 2 She Filed June 5, 1940 Patented Feb. 17, 1942 :"FU-NITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE:

I 5 Claims.

This invention relates to the display; sale and use of brushes adapted for painting, varnishing or other similar purposes. 'Itisthe general object of my invention to provide an improved brush which may be more economically packed, more advantageously displayed and more conveniently used than the present commercial product.

To the attainment of these objects, I provide coasting means for relatively positioning nested or adjacent brushes, which means is also effective for supporting a brush in a desired position between periods of use.

M-y invention further relates'to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be herein after described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

a A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a front elevation, showing several of my improved brushes mounted on" a display stand;

- Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional side elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the advantages of my improved brush in packing and shipping;

'or ferrule 12, which parts are in general of the usual construction. E'ach handle ll], however, is provided with an elongated slot or recess 20 on one side and with a hook 22 on the other side.

The hook is preferably seated in a shallow slot or recess 23 in the second side of the handle l0. and an offset spur 24 at one end of the hook is driven into the handle H! or may be inserted in a suitable recess formed therein.

After the hook 22 is positioned in the recess 23, the usual band or ferrule I2 is applied over the hook and thus holds the hook from displacement. A small nail or tack 25 may be inserted for additional security but under ordinary conditions this nail may not be found necessary. The spur 24 may be omitted. The usual nails 26 may be provided to secure the band or ferrule I2 in place. 1

The hook 22serves a number of useful purposes. When a stock of brushes is to be displayed for sale, the hook 22 of a brush B may be inserted through a hole or slot 30 in a stand or bracket 3|, so that the brush will be held in upright position and with the bristles at the lower ends of the brush free from the base 32 of the stand 3| Additional openings 30 may be provided across the face of the stand 3!, and furthermore the hook 22 of one brushmay be inserted in the slot or recess 20 in an adjacent brush and may be hooked above the upper edge of its band or ferrule l2, so that a series of brushes may be successively supported as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2; It will be understood that the stand 3| is illustrative only, and that the openings 30' may be madein any convenient supporting structure. The supported brushes may all be of a single size and width; or' may be of different sizes as shown in the drawings. A considerable number of brushes may be supported from each opening 30, so that a large number of brushes may be displayed in a very small space. All of the brushes are supported with the handles up and the bristles down, which is very desirable to keep the bristles straight and to avoid the tendency of inverted bristles to bend over, and also to prevent collection of dust and dirt when brushes are displayed for any considerable time.

The hooks 22 are not only convenient for supporting a brush on display but may also be used for supporting a brush between periods of use, as indicated in Fig. 7, where the brush B is supported inside of a container C partially full of liquid and the brush B is similarly supported on the outside of the container C.

The liquid in the container may be paint or varnish, in the application of which the brush is being used, or may be oil or Water to prevent the drying up of a brush temporarily out of use.

In all cases, it will be noted that the weight of the brush is supported entirely on the hook 22. Brushes thus supported obviously keep in better condition than those in which the weight of the brush rests entirely or even in part on the bristles. Obviously the hooks 22 may be caused to engage other objects than a liquid receptacle, as any article having a sharp corner or upstanding edge may be used on which to support a brush.

A further advantage of my invention arises in shipping and will now be described. By securing strips 40 of cardboard or other suitable material across the bottom of a box or carton 4|, the bottom brushes B may be positioned in the box by the hooks 22 and additional brushes B may be positioned by their hooks B relative to the brushes previously secured.

The effect of this is to hold the ends of the bristles of all of the brushes out of contact with the ends of the box 4|, which makes it unnecessary to separately wrap the bristle end of each brush in paper as has been the previous practice.

This in itself efiects a substantial saving in time and labor and renders the packing of brushes much simpler and more expeditious.

It will thus appear that by a very simple addition to the usual brush structure, I have attained a number of highly desirable results. I not only accomplish a substantial saving in packing and shipping, but I also provide for convenient display of large numbers of brushes in the most advantageous positions, and I provide convenient means for supporting a brush either inside or outside of a receptacle between periods of use.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have shown a slight modification of my invention in which a brush 50 is provided with a metal band or ferrule having a hook 52 struck from the metal of the band and projecting outward as indicated in Fig. 8. At the opposite side, a portion 53 of the band is displaced inwardly, leaving an opening 54 in which the hook 52 of an adjacent brush 50 may be inserted.

The opening 54 is so positioned vertically relative to the hook 52 that adjacent brushes, as 5D and 50*, will be held at the same height by coaction of the hook 52 of one brush, with the edge of the opening 54 of an adjacent brush, as shown in Fig. 8.

A recess 55 is provided in the lower end of each brush handle to provide clearance for insertion of the hook on an adjacent brush.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In brushes having handles, that improvement which comprises providing each brush with a hook secured to one side of its handle, and in providing hook-engaging means at the opposite side of each brush effective to coact with the hook on an adjacent brush to relatively position and support a second brush on a first brush, whereby adjacent similar brushes may be relatively positioned and supported.

2. A brush having a handle, a hook member fixed at one side thereof, and a recessed portion at the opposite side of said handle to receive the hook member of an adjacent similar brush nested therewith.

3. In a brush, a handle, a hook member positioned at one side thereof, and a band on said handle partially enclosing said hook member and preventing displacement thereof, said handle being recessed within said band at the opposite side of said handle to provide an edge element for engagement by the hook member on an adjacent similar brush.

4. In a brush, a handle, a metal band on said handle, and a hook struck from said band and projecting outward from one side thereof, said band on the opposite side of the handle having an opening providing an edge element positioned to receive and support a similar hook on the side of an adjacent brush.

5. In a brush, a handle, a metal band on said handle, and a hook struck from said band and projecting outward from one side thereof, said band on the opposite side of the handle having an opening providing an edge element positioned to receive and support a similar hook on the side of an adjacent brush, and said hook and edge element being so related vertically that adjacent brushes Will be maintained at the same height by coaction of a hook and an adjacent edge element.

FRED A. HENDERSON. 

